GNAAVTNU ANIMALS RODENTS 141 



They feed chiefly at night, hut in springtime may 

 often be seen during the da3^ Their chief food in 

 a wild state consists of grass, roots, dandelion leaves, 

 sheep^s parsley, plaintain and hogweed, wild anemone 

 roots, acorns and nuts of various kinds. Mr. Rope 

 says that, curiously enough, they do not like carrots, 

 of which other voles are very fond, but they will eat 

 Brussels sprouts, and bank voles in captivity refuse 

 crocus bulbs. 



The Field Vole or Short-tailed Field Mouse. 



This vole is slightly larger than the bank vole. 

 It has a shorter tail and is not so red in colour. Its 

 muzzle is rounder. The head and body measure 3J 

 to 4^ inches and the tail about one third of this 

 length. It may be finally identified from the bank 

 vole by the structure of its molar teeth. The field 

 vole is found in England, Scotland and Wales, but 

 is unknown in Ireland. It lives in the rough grass 

 on low-lying land and in damp plantations. Mr. 

 Millais says that he has devoted about a fifth of an 

 acre of his garden to a colony of field voles. He 

 finds they increase somewhat rapidly and do little 

 damage, as they seem to live exclusively on grass. 

 Each pair has a separate run where they rear their 

 young and store their winter food. The burrows 

 are very clean and devoid of smell. They soon 

 become tame if kept as pets, and will allow them- 

 selves to be handled. '' They are said to eat almost 

 anything in the way of fruits, nuts, grain, young 

 leaves, seeds and grass,^' says Mr. Millais, ^' and I 



